1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to showerhead apparatus, and more particularly, to showerhead apparatus which provides a substantially constant flow of water from the apparatus generally without regard to the input pressure of the water supply to which the showerhead apparatus is connected.
2.Description of the Prior Art
With water shortages facing criticality in many parts of the world, including portions of the United States at various times, the conservation of water has become of paramount importance.
One prior art method for reducing the output of showers is to use an orifice of a fixed size. Another method is to limit the pressure of the water flowing out of the showerhead. Neither method is entirely satisfactory since neither produces a substantially constant output.
Another way in which to conserve water is to provide a showerhead which limits or controls the flow of water through the showerhead virtually without regard to the pressure of the water supply to which the showerhead is secured. Thus, through a relatively wide range of water pressures, the flow of water in terms of gallons per minute from the showerhead apparatus is kept relatively constant. Such apparatus is disclosed in my copending application, Ser. No. 738,335, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,082,225, issued Apr. 4, 1978. The apparatus of the present invention is substantially simpler with fewer parts than the apparatus disclosed in my previous application, but the net results are substantially the same. It will be noted that the apparatus of the present invention includes an aerator for mixing the water output with air to provide an aerated output or water flow, with its overall effect on the person taking a shower of providing the feeling of more water than is actually provided.
The apparatus of the prior art, as embodied in my copending application, provides a relatively constant output by means of a control sleeve which includes slots, communicating with the water supply, of a total area which decreases with an increase in the water pressure. The sleeve is spring biased to move against an increase in the water pressure to decrease the area of the slots available to the flow of water as the pressure of the water supply increases. Thus a maximum slot area is available to the water supply with a minimum amount of pressure. As the water pressure increases, the slot area decreases to provide a relatively constant water flow output in terms of gallons per minute. The disadvantage of the several parts, including moving parts, has been eliminated in the apparatus of the present invention.